Can opener and the like



Feb. 2, 1954 F. K. KRAG 2,667,690

CAN OPENER AND THE LIKE Filed May 5l, 1952 Patented Feb. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,667,690 CAN OPENER AND THE LIKE- Franz K. Krag, Chicago, Ill. Application May 31, 1952, Serial No. 290,845

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in can openers, and the like. The present invention has particular reference to can openers of that type in which the end of the can is perforated in such manner as to allow the contents of the can to be poured therefrom, or, as in the case of a wide use of cans used for holding beverages, to allow the contents of the can to be drunk directly from the can. Many cans containing beer and other beverages are used for direct consumption of their contents without pouring said contents into a glass or other drinking vessel, and the features herein disclosed are especially useful in connection with cans which are thus used.

Various can top perforating and opening devices have been provided in the past which are intended to so perforate the can top that the contents can be readily poured from the can, or so that the beverage can be drunk directly therefrom. Such perforating devices have also been provided with means to produce a secondary perforation opposite to the perforation from which the cans contents are dispensed, such secondary perforation being for ingress of air to replace the liquid contents during the dispensing operation. All such perforating devices with which I am familiar have been so constructed that the can top material which is displaced to produce the drinking opening is folded back and laid against the inside surface of the wall of the can. When such a can provided with a drinking opening formed in this manner is placed to the mouth the can is held and its contents dispensed into the mouth with the opening at the bottom position, and with the cylindrical outer surface of the can against the lower lip, the Ventilating opening being at the top or up side of the can. The upper lip is then sealed against top during the drinking operation. However, much experience has demonstrated that the presence of the can top material lying against the inside surface of the body of the can directly below the drinking opening greatly interferes with the flow of the liquid contents through such opening, and produces a tendency for such liquid contents to discharge at the lower side corners of the drinking opening. Consequently it has been found diiiicult to avoid a tendency for the liquid contents to dribble down from the corners of the can opening, and over the chin of the drinker. In other words, a can perforated in the foregoing manner can only be brought to the drinkers mouth, and sealed thereagainst with sufficient firmness to avoid such dribbling action by the use of great care, and with constant attenthe surface of the can' 2 tion to the position of the can during such use.

I have discovered that when the drinking opening is made in such manner that none of the can top material is folded against the inside surface of the body of the can at a location below the drinking opening the aforesaid tendency for the liquid to dribble during the drinking operation is greatly reduced or even completely eliminated. In other words, it is very desirable to keep the inside surface of the can body clear and unobstructed by such a folded portion of the can top. This may be done by cutting the material of such opening completely away from the can top, leaving the opening as a sharply cut opening throughout its perimeter.

Such an opening as just above dened requires the use of special cutting agencies; and in addition thereto it is noted that the presence of the sharp edge of an opening is undesirable around that portion of the perimeter which is contacted by the upper lip.

It is also noted that it is desirable to use an opening of triangular form in which the base of the triangle lies adjacent to the can body. Such an arrangement ensures a maximum width of the opening in the lower portion of the opening during the drinking operation, and also brings such maximum width of opening adjacent to the mouth opening during the drinking operation.

According to the principal feature of my present invention I have provided the can top with an opening of triangular form with the base of the triangle adjacent to the inside surface of the can body; and I have formed such opening in such a manner that no portion of the can top material is folded down against or towards the inside surface of the can body, leaving such base portion of the drinking opening completely unobstructed by any can top material, and with the base of the drinking opening substantially flush with the inside surface of the can body. Such a drinking opening has been found to substantially avoid the tendency to dribble during the drinking. Specifically, I have formed such drinking opening by folding or rolling the material of the can top (removed during the forming of the opening) back towards the center of the can top and away from the base portion of the 'drinking opening itself. Still more specifically, I have provided the means to so perforate the can top as to produce a cutting or shearing operation along the can top close to the inside surface of the can body, and in both directions from the radial line passing through such opening, for such distance in each direction as to provide the desired size the radial line, the material at one side of such radial line being rolled towards the right, and-V the material at the other side of such radial line towards the left, and the shearing, the triangular opening being sir-nul taneously produced in both directions; from the size of the opening isp being rolled at the base of said radial line. The iinal determined by the amount of movement of the cutting tool during the perforating, operfatiomk It is also noted that the, shearing .of the. can top material is produced on a curved line `corresponding to the curvature of the can body (cylindrical),

so that the base of the triangular opening Vis not a straight line,V but is a segmental arc gmatching the inside surface of the can body and lying very close or even at the cylindrical inside surface oi the can body. Experience has shown that by this process or operation it is possible to pro-v duce the desired size 'of drinking :opening with substantially a single more or less complete roll of the can top material cut and rolled towards each side of the opening.

Still more specically, I ting or shearing tool whereby suc-h form of opening will be produced in the .can top,together with simple means to operate such tool, together with means to support the can in correct positiondurhave provided a icut-` ing the production of the opening., Ihave also provided such tool with a secondcutter element which will produce the desired ventopening simultaneously with the cutting of the drinking opening, and at a location'directly; vopposite to the drinking opening.

Other objects and vuses of theinventionivill appear from a detailed description ol" 4,the same, which consists in the features of .construction and combinations ofparts hereinafter described and claimed,

In the drawing:

Figure l shows a sideelevation of` a simple unit for producing the desired form of `drinkingopening in the can top,` and also f'or producing a vent opening in such can top.; and in thisjguie'the operating handle is swung dow-n intoqasubs'tantially horizontal position, to substantially-'complete the operations of formi-ng, the openings, -a typical can being in place on the baseoi" 'the unit; and in this gure the parts are shown Von reduced scale;

Figure 2 shows a plan viewwcorrespondinfg to Figure l;

Figure 3 shows a fragmentary view of; the upper portion of a typical beer can, 4in.elevation,;and

the path which it travels' during .the perforating ,f

operation;

ing opening is sheared 4 Figure 4 shows a top plan view of a typical beer can on larger scale than Figures l and 2, and with its can top provided with a drinking opening embodying the features of the present invention, and also showing a typical vent opening opposite to the drinking opening; and in this figure the material rolled back towards the center of the inside face of the cover during the perorating operation is shown by dotted lines;I

Figure 5 shows a fragmentary'section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows; and this figure shows how the materialof the 'can top is rolled towards the can center, andhow the base of the triangular drinkclose to the inside surface otthecanscylindrical body so as to avoid the dribbling operation during drinking from the can;

Figure 6 shows a bottom face View of a tool for producing the desired shearing operation of kthe drinking opening, beingon substantiallyjthe same scale as Figures 3 and 4;. andV Figure 7 shows a horizontal.cross-sectiontaken on the line 'l-l of Figure l3, looking in thev direction of the arrows. l

Referring rst to Figures 4 and 5, I have therein shown a typical beer can topx(Figurel); and provided with the drinking opening-embodying the features of thepresentl inventionfuandalso showing a typical vent opening; and inFigure I have shown a detail section through the drinking opening and the adjacent-portions ,ofthe .can top. The can as an entiretypis designated asfl). It includes the cylindrical body ll` V`and the top l2, these Vparts being folded and formed together vin theusual and well understood-manner... In the construction illustrated .the .edgel portion of the top blank is folded up and over and down against the upper edge of the body elementi |to establish a tight seal. This produces the slightly upstanding peripheral rim element |3,.vthe t0.l3 proper, l2, being set down slightly below Ithe-top of Vsaid rim.

The drinking opening I4 is of generally triangular, form, preierably a substantially equilateral triangle, but the base ofrsa-id opening, l5, is `DIF- erably not formed on a straight line,but isc-urved on a circular arc corresponding vclosely tothe curvature of the inside surfaceof the cylindrical body of the can. The two sides,l 6 and l1, ofthis opening are formed symmetrically with respect to a radial line i3 passing throughk the center- Eof the can top. During drink-ing K through this opening the lower lip ci ythe drinkerl is ,brought against theoutside surface` of the can body ,at the location just outside `of `the cpeningfmfand the upper lip is held-firmly against the` outsideor ,top surface of the. can top I2, just beyond vthe locations of the edges l rand il of thg open-ing. In order for the liquid to flow smoothlyrandfevenly to the drinkers mouth the opening.v I, should be so for-med that there will bey substantiallyno obstruction to such 'liquid -flowover :the ent-ire width oi the opening, and. `'between the two lower Ycorners of the opening, i9 and 2li. In Figure K5 there appears the slightofise-t Zifat they -baselof the drinking opening, due to the thickness ,of the material from which the can topis madabutin Figure 5 this th-icknessof the materialis greatly exaggerated, .and actually it is hardly perceptible when running the linger over` the inside surface of the cylindrical body, fthe 'finger extending down through. the openingill." 'Sometimes even this small amount 'ot offset is 'eliminated by ja inward forming of 'the 'can bodyustbelowrtlre 'location-of the 'inside'suriacepi the ycan top.

It is noted that in forming the drinking opening the base I thereof closely conforms to the curvature of the inside surface of the can body, so that no obstructing ledge is produced against the outflow of liquid even at the central portion of such base I5.

Examination of Figure 5 in particular shows that the material at each side of the triangular opening is formed towards the center of the can top, and is rolled downwardly, then towards the center of the top, and then upwardly into substantially one convolution. Examination of Figure 4 also shows that the material thus rolled from the opening I during the process of making that opening, is of substantially triangular form, and that the two triangles thus rolled away from the opening in opposite directions measured from the radial line I8, comprise the material released from the two lateral halves of the opening, measured from said radial line. Accordingly, each of these rolled sections includes a point (shown in dotted lines in Figure 4) the two points having originally been in contact with each other at the intersection of the radial line I8 with the base of the opening. At this point I call attention to this fact, since, during the operation of forming the opening the material released from each half of the opening is rolled away from the radial line I8 in a direction substantially at right angles to the final edge of the opening for such half, with the point rolled into the center of such rolled material.

Examination of Figure 5 in particular will show that when this opening forming operation has been completed the released material is located close to the inside surface of the can top, and does not proiect down into the body of the can more than the diameter of the so-formed roll. Also, that even so, this material is carried back towards the axial center of the can and towards the center of the top of the can, so that during the drinking operation the liquid material within the can has its upper surface at all times below such rolls, and such liquid surface constantly descends during the removal of the liquid contents from the can. Examination of Figure 4 also shows that commencing at the outer corner, IS or 2t, of the opening, as the case may be, the released material is so cut and formed that its outer edge quickly departs from the inside surfaoe of the can body, so that no traps are formed even at these corners for the interference with free and unobstructed flow of liquid to and past the curved base of the triangular opening.

It will now be seen that I have provided a form of drinking opening admirably adapted to meet the conditions imposed in the drinking of the contents directly from the can; and I have also disclosed certain of the characteristics of the opening itself, as respects the disposition of the released can top material. I shall now describe the form of tool which I have herein disclosed for quickly and accurately forming the said opening, and for also forming a vent opening. Such a vent opening is shown at 22 in Figure 4, and it may be of any suitable form and may be formed in any suitable manner. In the present case this vent opening is shown as being formed by folding the material of the can top outwardly against the inside face of the can body.

The tool disclosed for forming the opening i5 is well shown in Figures 3, 6 and 7. It includes the angle shaped cutter 23 having the two wings 24 and 25. This cutter is carried by a suitable -is lowered, thus conforming carrier 2B, shown 'as a lever arm, which carrier is mounted for rocking movement about the center 21; Conveniently the carrier comprises a section of channel having the web 28 and the side flanges 29 and 30. A base plate 3| carries the stand 32 of hight slightly greater than the hight of the can II). This stand is of generally channel shape, including the web 33 having the side flanges 34 and 35; and the flanges are formed outwardly into the angle wings 3e and 3i. These `wings are for the purpose of providing surfaces `portion of the stand by the cross pin 38. The

outer or free end of the carrier is formed into circular cross-section to provide the handle 39 by which said carrier may be rocked up and down. The friction of the pivotal support of this carrier will generally be found sufficient to retain said carrier in its raised position, but if desired special means may be provided to eifect this result.

The cutter 23 is secured to the bottom face of the carrier web 28. For this purpose said cutter is provided with the plate it, conveniently integral with such cutter, such plate being secured to the web 28 as by the bolts lli. These bolts may be passed through slightly elongated slots 42 in the web 28 so that the tool may be set into correct position on the carrier to ensure correct formation of the drinking opening in the can top.

The cutter wings 2li and Z are provided with the curved edges e3 and it which are so formed that the wings draw to a piercing point 415. Evidently as the carrier arm 26 is rocked about its pivot 38 the piercing point d5 will travel on the arc of a circle about said pivot 33. The cutter is so formed that as the carrier is lowered to its position of start of the formation of the drinking opening this piercing point will come into contact with the can top at a point just inside of the flange I3, as shown by the full line position of the cutter in Figure 3. Under these conditions, also, the edges 133 and et of the cutter are also so formed that as the carrier is rocked downwardly about the pivot 38 each of these cutting edges will passthe plane of the can top on a line located at the line of joinder of the can top with the oylindrical body of the can, That is to say, these edges are so curved that they will cut through the plane of the can top on the desired circular arcs at the inside face of the flange I3, as the carrier to the requirement that the material of the can top is to be severed around a circular arc registering with the inside surface of the can body cylinder. In order to obtain the cutting operation these edges are also sharpened, preferably on their outer corners, as shown at 45 and li'i. Then, as the carrier is depressed, i'orcing the cutter downwardly, these cutting edges will sever the can top from the body of the can, or from the flange I3. This cutting operation Will commence at the center of the curved edge I5 of the opening ld (that is, on the radial line I8), and will progress in both directions, to right and to left, for a distance dependent on the amount by which the cutter is forced down.

As the foregoing cutting operation progresses the faces 48 and 49 of the cutter will come into action. These faces. come; togethemonthessharp line of joinderr-Bll.y Examination of..fFig`ureSz:3,a6 and 7 shows that this line ozjoinderextendslfrom the piercing point 451- upwardlyetoward'ssthei car.- rier; and the downward ro.ckingf.movementzoifthe carrier Vabout the pivots38 Ecausesr' thisf.- 1linef:;of joinder 50 to -work on the imate'riallof the-can'top progressively towards: the can'center as-'do'ngtas the downward Vrock ofl thecarrienis continued. This line of joinder serveslto severthezmaterial of the can top progressivelywi-thlthe cuttingfop'- eratonsof the. .edges 461 fandAI-y solathati'asiast as the can `top iszsevered around.; the circular flange i3 Ythe lso severed vmaterial-iis .alsoidivided by the edge 5G into twoseotions, such 'severingc.- curring along the radial; line..l8..: Thus two wings are produced, one at each side'onsaid Iadialfline. Concurrently withthe foregoingcuttingeandsevering operations the. faces 48and 49'bfi'the cutter are forced towards the can top center;.fthus;forci ing the severed Wings oficanto'p material indi-rec".- tions determined by the forcesexerted by thzsursfaces s3 and ll'on thesaid` A'studyof the said surfaces, their. relative ...angles :withireispect to veach otherjandthe changingi'anglesiat which they act; on .the severed wingsof: material, will show that said surfaces 48 and 49 act-ima scooping manner, with an upward sco'opin'g action exerted on the wings'concurrently. with-a movement towards thecan top center;` but theoutward facing angles of said surfaces also prodiiceseforces on said wings tending .to cause said awings toi-curl upwardly to produce the curled-rolls such as shown at 5l and 52 inLFi'guresll and-55? Thusithe released material is` curled up-intothe'zdesired rolls 5i and 52' 'simultaneously.=with tliewseverance of the two wings of material from the Vcan top. And the curling operationwillcontinue as long as the severing operation continues', iso that the released material-is curled -up proportionate to the amount of severing action.

Generally it will be desirable'toso'fproportion the parts, and to make thecutter-offsuch.dimension that the desired amount of severing and curling action, and production ofthe desiredfsize of opening, will be produced :when fthe" lever arm has been depressed into a substantiallyl horizontal position, as shown by Figure '-1. In Figure 3 I have also shown the lower portion ofvthegcutter (its pointed portion) atv its substantially' fully 50' lowered position by the dottedrlines'.-

In order to produce .the desired-vent' opening I have also provided the-small`cutter 53. comprisiing an integral portionv ofA thecutter element. rThis small cutter comprisesa .pointedfpronghaving its lower end 54 sharply pointed t6' piercetli'e can top; and this small cutter-.isalso provided with' theface. 55 .looking in the directionfofftlie pivot This small 'cutterk will therefore sever a small triangle: of can top material :close tothe flange E3, but at position opposite to' the opening I4; and the material thus severed 'willbelfold'ed hack against theV inside-surface:ofxthebodybf theY can in well understoo'dfmanner. Since' the liquid contents ofthe'can'are vnottakexi through this vent opening.itfollows that' said openingm'ay be made oi any form convenient'ftoi the: designer and user of the device'.

Examination of Figure vl3 :will alsollshow-that both of the points l5-l and 54. riseftotheielevation v of the top edge of the flangel3:'atsubstantially .to an amount 1.40

the; same. ftime,:`so that the V:can: may:v be fset into place: orfremoved fromethei device when ythe lever hasjbeen Ytilted up to substantially the angle shown inligureA 3 `or slightly higher.-

I claimt.'

l. Means to perforate the top'of a'cylindrical container.` comprising in` combination, a lever Varrn,'meansi` to pivotA said lever arm .for rock'on a xedaxis of`rock,; and a cutter connected to said arm,.saidicutter comprising a blade element of Vi-.shaped'cross-section-and including a pair of wingsfextending outwardly from the connecting lineofthe V of said blade element and .away from the laxis ofrock ofthe lever arm, said. wings lying '-at anangle of the order of ninety degrees to each 'for bothof the triangular shaped-wings and the apicesfof both-wings being located `at a common point 'on'thefJ of the fbladeeleinent and'con'- stituting-a container top perforating point,fthe other sidesofthe blade element-whioh-sides'exftend from `said perorating point extending outwardly-from saidperforating point land being sharpened to Aprovide container top cutting edges whicl'rare separated from each other-by a progressively increasing'distance measured on sucvcessite planes which planes 'all contain the aXis'of rockof the-lever arm-and-also pass through the wings'of-the V blade element rat successive planar angles ycommencing at the peroratingl point, the ,said sharpened sides 'of the wings` being of for:- rnatiori such thatduring rocket-the lever arm on the pivotal axis' thepoints of. intersection of said cutting. edges with a stationaryplane shift-in `op'- posite 'directions roin'a commonpoint and Aen circulararcuate' segments of 'a .common Acircle I'to' thereby 4develop Va combined ,arcuate segment of'ysize equal to' the combined cutting eects'ef both of the cutting 4edges progressively intersecting said stationary plane.

2.' Means .as denne'd 'in claim.: i, together with means to' support a Acylindricalcontainer with its top coincident with `said stationary plane, and wherein'the; said circle oi. cutting is of the same size as the cylindrical size of the container.'

3. -Means as dened in claim 2,' wherein the cylindrical container. is supported at a location'with respect to Ytheaxis .oiroclr ofY the lever. arm such that the .circle of cutting ofthe containerto'p lies substantially coincident' withthe. inside cylindrical'surface. of .the container.

FRANZ KLKRAG.

References'fCited in the le of this patent UNITEDSTATES .PATENTS 'Number Name f Date# 2,119,502 Bertels L May 3l', 1933 2,197,449# Conill Apr 16, 1940 2,25%,4991l Taylor- Oct. 2l; 1941 2,40683`1.' Hansen Sept. 3, 1945 2,516,746@v Barlow` July. 25, 1950 2,556,731( Lapierre June 12,1951 

